The rules of contractual interpretation have evolved significantly in the last several years in Canada. At one time, the circumstances surrounding the preparation of a contract were rarely considered by the courts; the courts preferred to look within the “four walls” of the contract to interpret ambiguous phrases or to resolve uncertainties. More recently, however, the courts have begun to consider all of the circumstances involved in the drafting of the contract in order to give meaning to it and to ensure that the intention of the parties is carried out.

An employee was terminated for time theft because his time cards did not align with the ‘swipe card’ records showing when he entered and exited the building. But did the employer collect the data in accordance with privacy laws?

There may be times when it makes sense to try and establish a solicitor-client relationship with an external investigator, and these tips will help you do this effectively. However, in other cases where this is not what you require, recognize that the process your investigator follows may be open to scrutiny.

On March 30, 2017, the Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) released its decision in BP Canada Energy Company v. MNR (2017 FCA 61), dealing with whether the Minister of National Revenue (the Minister) could compel the taxpayer to disclose the uncertain tax positions reflected in its tax accrual working papers (TAWPs).

On July 7, 2017, the Department of Finance issued the consultation paper “A New Retail Payments Oversight Framework” (the “Consultation Paper”) proposing a federal oversight framework for retail payments. Comments on the Consultation Paper are due October 6, 2017.

The following discussion provides a general description of blockchain and distributed ledger technologies (DLT) and the current state of the regulatory landscape in Ontario. To date, the Ontario Securities Commission has not explicitly categorized a blockchain token or coin (which are further discussed below) as an investment contract or other type of security under section […]

The Canadian federal government has announced that it has suspended the coming into force of the private right of action under Canada’s anti-spam legislation (CASL), originally scheduled to come into force on July 1, 2017.

Audit Analytics has released some interesting statistics on financial restatements and SOX. According to them, in 2015 about 5.3% of companies assessed their internal control over financial reporting (ICFR) as ineffective. This is down from 5.8% in 2014 but otherwise the highest level since 2008. This is the key section of their report.

Patricia Kosseim, Senior General Counsel and Director General, Legal Services, Policy, Research and Technology Analysis for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, was asked, at the request of Commission’s counsel, to provide an overview of the legislation for protecting privacy in Canada and to answer questions about lawful access issues from a federal perspective.

In Canada, the issue of whether an NDA may be an unenforceable restraint of trade has been explored in the employment law context, however, there has been very little discussion as to whether an NDA could be considered a restraint of trade in transactions between two or more businesses. There has also been little discussion in Canada as to the distinction between trade secrets and ordinary confidential information. As such, US case law may provide some guidance.

While the new record-keeping requirements are relatively straightforward for corporations with just a few “ownership interests” in real property, corporations with significant interests, such as those involved in property development, face a much more onerous task. It is therefore recommended that Ontario corporations begin preparing the register as soon as possible to gather the required information and to establish a common practice.

The first week of Trump’s administration has revealed a highly activist White House, hewing with surprising fidelity to campaign promises. The pace of change is materially faster than anticipated and the implications may be felt sooner rather than later.